Arch supporter



July 24, 1923' I 11,462,534

M. J. CONDYLIS ET AL ARCH SUPPORTER Filed June 14 1921 W fw, a; 23 4.15%

DYLIS and JEssIE C.

Patented July 24, 1923.

its grates MICHAEL J. CONDYLIS AND ,asa

l l f l@ JESSIE C. CLARKE, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

ARCH SUPPORTER.

Application filed June 14, 1921.

T all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL J. CoN- CLARKE, both citizens and residents of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arch Supportof the United States,

ers, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Our invention relates to devicesfo'r supportingthe arch or instep of the human foot to correct what is familiarly known as flat foot and to prevent any tendency in that direction.

Ourobject is to provide a construction which shall be free from metal plates or hard and unyielding projections and which can be worn with ease and comfort with any shape and kind of shoe of the proper size, either directlyin contact with the flesh or outsidethe stocking, as, desired.

A further object is to provide for proper adjustment of the supporter and for tightening the same as the flatness of the arch is corrected without any liability of discomfort from the adjusting devices and further to so apply the adjusting straps that the heel and ball of the foot shall be entirely free for untrammeled movement, and so that when once adjusted the supporter may be removed or replaced without changing the adjustment. Other advantages and im provements will be hereinafter referred to during the more detailed description of our supporter.

Our invention consists of that certain novel combination of parts to be hereinafter particularly pointed out and claimed, whereby the above results are attained especially by the combination of soft leather or other pliable but non-elastic material. in connection with an elastic fabric through which the soft leather support is held in place to exert, without harshness, the necessary pressure to insure and maintain the proper curve for the arch and at the same time permit the bones of the foot to yield and move without pain or friction during use.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our arch supporter on the foot.

allel with the outside of Serial No. 477,476.

Figure 2 is a porter removed flattened out.

The body of the supporter is formed of a piece of soft and pliable, but non-elastic material, preferably soft leather 1 fashioned in a shape to snugly lit the concave portion of the instep between the ball 2 and the heel 3 of the human foot. To prevent yielding and to give the desired slightstilfness and strength to the material, we prefer to run lines of stitches 4. through the material.

The material for its lower edge 5 is cut slightly diagonal so that when locatedin place this edge shall be substantially parthe foot and the opposite edge 6 is preferably cut on a straight line. a i

A broad band 7 of elastic webbing is stitched or otherwise secured to the leather portion, so as to form a band to encircle the arch of the foot.

As the edges 5 perspective view of the supwith the sustaining straps and Got the leather por tion are not parallel, there is somewhat more elastic webbing towards the front of the foot, so that the metatarsal bones are held yieldingly to allow the necessary freedom in walking.

For the upper or inner portion of the supporter. a strap 8 of leather free from the elastic webbing is provided which is adapted to pass over the upper portion of the foot above the arch and to be secured in the desired. adjusted position by a buckle 9 or other suitable fastening device on the tab 10 of the leather body portion.

Attached to this tab 10 there is also a strap 11, which passes around back of the heel and is adjustably secured by the buckle 12 on the extension 13 from the leather body portion. The material is so cut that when these two straps are fastened, the fastening devices will lie on each side in the hollow portions of the foot on each side of the heel below the ankle joint. In this way the fasteningdevices will find a place for themselves and will not be pressed against the foot by the shoe upper when in use. When the strap 8 is drawn across the arch and tightened, the pull is directly across the center, so that it does not bind or pull across the metatarsal bones. The leather for the concave of the arch is held yieldingly by the elastic webbing which is not afthe adjusting straps, one size of supporter y, for several sizes of the foot.

The straps and upper or inner portion being unyielding and the elastic band holding the bones of the arch yieldingly, in combination, furnish a supporter which will notonly correct the so-called broken arch, but will serve as a protection and help for the normal foot for standing and. walking and which will be of great assistance for athletes and those who are apt to subject the feet to great strains.

Haring thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters IQatent, is

can be used 1.1'n an arch supporter, the coinbination of a soft, pliable, non-elastic support for the concave of the arch with an elastic webbing of substantial width throughout engaging the non-elastic support on each sile and adapted to extend over the arch, with straps, one to adjust the tension. of the support vertically and the other adapted to extend back of the heel to hold the suppe er in P e- 2. In an arch supporter, the combination of a soft, pliable, non-elastic support for the concave of the arch with an elastic webbing of substantial width throughout engaging the non-elastic support on each side and alone extending over the arch, with straps one to adjust the tension of the support vertically and the other adapted to extend back of the heel to hold the supporter in place, the fastening devices-for the straps adapted to rest in the natural hollows of the foot between the ankle joint and the heel.

3. In an arch supporter, the combination of a soft, pliable, non-elastic support narrower toward the front of the foot and formed to fit the concave of the arch, with an elastic webbing of substantial width throughout engaging the non-elastic support on each side and alone extending over the arch, with a corresponding greater length of webbing for the forward portion of the supporter to prevent the front portion of the foot from over-spreading.

l. In an arch supporter, the combination of a support of soft leather for the concave surface of the arch, shaped to fit said surface, with lateral extensions on each side, and straps secured thereto to extend over the top of the arch and back of the heel, of a band of elasticwebbing secured to said leather support on each side and adapted to embrace the arch of the foot, separate from said extensions. 7 MICHAEL J CONDYLIS.

JESSIE Q. CLARKE. 

